1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus which ejects ink on a recording medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known an ink-jet recording apparatus, as disclosed by JP-2004-74774A, including a head having a plurality of nozzle openings from which ink is ejected and a wiper which wipes the ink adhering to an ink ejection surface (that is, a surface in which the nozzle openings are formed) of the head. According to the apparatus, a wiper is driven to perform a wiping operation, after a suction pump is driven in a state in which a cap is fitted over the ink ejection surface so as to produce a negative pressure in the cap so that the ink is forced to be discharged from the nozzle openings of the ink ejection surface. In the wiping operation, the wiper formed of an elastic material such as a rubber is moved relative to the head while being in contact with the ink ejection surface of the head, whereby excess ink and the like adhering to the nozzle openings and their peripheries are removed and meniscuses of the ink formed in the nozzles are adjusted to their preferred condition.
However, in the above-mentioned wiping operation, the ink, foreign substances, and the like adhering to the ink ejection surface at the peripheries of the nozzle openings cannot be sufficiently removed, thereby causing a risk of deteriorating a print quality.